Laguna Nursery owner Ruben Flores with a Main Beach-themed cake and tribute to council founder Harry Lawrence

Gala Borrows From the Macabre

The second annual gala fundraiser Little Shop of Horticulture will be held at the Montage’s ballroom with Laguna Beach Beautification Council on Oct. 31, from 5-9 p.m.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres start at 5 p.m., followed with a silent auction and dinner until 9 p.m. Masquerade attire is optional and encouraged. Advance tickets are $100 each; $125 at the door.

Tickets are available by calling 949-494-5200, or at the Laguna Nursery, 1370 S. Coast Hwy.

Public Invited to Crime Prevention Talk

Community Service Officer Nikie Hernandez, and Emergency Management Coordinator Jordan Villwock, will hold a discussion on crime prevention and emergency preparedness at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Susi Q Senior Center, 380 Third St.

Contact Patty Quilter to register for the event, 949-464-9535 or email at [email protected].

Free Composting Workshops

Laguna Beach and its trash hauler, Waste Management, are teaming up to host a free 10 a.m. composting class for residents on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Susi Q Center, 380 Third St.

Learn how to recycle yard and food waste into organic fertilizer using simple composting techniques.

Bins will be available for purchase at a discounted price to residents.

Laguna Presbyterian Church invites the public to donate blood during a drive on Sunday, Oct. 27, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Tankersley Hall, 415 Forest Ave. Photo identification is required.

To schedule an appointment, sign up online at www.RedCrossBlood.org. Use sponsor code: lagunap. Participants will receive complimentary admission to the Laugh Factory, Hollywood or Long Beach and Grammy Museum.

Lynn Epstein at work with a young client.

Language and Speech Clinic Turns Five

Laguna Beach Language and Speech Clinic, 31642 S. Coast Highway, celebrates five years of diagnosing and helping children with communication issues and offering parents educational workshops and consultations.

Clinical director, Lynn Epstein meets with parents to help them understand the implications of a diagnosis and create home strategies.

Nine members of Laguna Beach’s Assistance League attended the organization’s national conference last month.

This year, as well as last, the Laguna Beach chapter presented a workshop. This year’s was about unusual scholarships, detailing how the chapter funds scholarships for students at Dana Point’s R.H. Dana School to ride horses at San Juan Capistrano’s Shea Therapeutic Center for Riding.